___Because investigations into the possession of illegal firearms do not fall within the statutory responsibilities of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the agency reportedly transferred the recovered arms and ammunition to the Department of State Services (DSS) for an in-depth probe.
Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami (SAN), has yet to meet the conditions attached to his bail as fresh investigations intensify over arms and ammunition allegedly found at his residence in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State.
Malami is currently facing a separate and serious investigation by the DSS following the reported discovery of the weapons at his country home. According to reports, operatives of the EFCC uncovered the arms during a search of the property. However, due to jurisdictional limitations, the EFCC handed over the items to the DSS for further investigation.
Sources disclosed that while the exact quantity of arms and ammunition recovered could not be immediately verified, the volume was significant enough to trigger a full-scale security investigation by the DSS.
Although Malami, alongside his wife, Asabe Bashir, and son, Abdulaziz, was granted bail last week, he remains in custody at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja after failing to perfect the bail conditions imposed by the court.
Last week, reports indicated that the former justice minister was deliberately stalling the bail process in order to avoid immediate rearrest by DSS operatives in connection with the arms-related investigation. It was also reported that Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre was placed under heavy security surveillance as more than 50 DSS operatives were deployed around the facility.
The heightened security presence was described as a precautionary measure to ensure that Malami would not evade questioning over alleged terrorism-related offences, particularly after the Federal High Court in Abuja granted him bail in his ₦8.7 billion money laundering case.
Sources familiar with the situation revealed that Malami instructed his legal team to slow down the bail perfection process after learning that DSS operatives were prepared to rearrest him immediately upon his release over alleged terrorism financing and illegal arms possession.
A senior security source confirmed that the inventory of the arms discovered at Malami’s Kebbi residence had been formally transferred to the DSS and that the former minister would be required to explain how he came into possession of the weapons.
Another source stated that Malami remained in custody as a strategic move to avoid arrest by the DSS, adding that security operatives were already positioned within the vicinity of the correctional centre to invite him for questioning once released.
Meanwhile, an EFCC source confirmed that Malami had not met the conditions attached to his bail, dismissing reports circulating on social media claiming that he had been released and returned to Kebbi State.
The source further revealed that investigations into Malami’s activities date back several years, beginning during the tenure of former EFCC Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu, continuing under subsequent leadership, and now under the current EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.
Olukoyede also confirmed during a recent television interview that the Malami case was inherited upon his assumption of office, stressing that the investigation was neither new nor politically motivated.
In a related development, a Federal High Court in Abuja last week ordered the interim forfeiture of 57 properties allegedly linked to Malami and his two sons. Court documents valued the assets at approximately ₦213.23 billion.
The court granted Malami, his sons, or any interested party a 14-day period to appear before it and provide evidence proving that the assets were lawfully acquired. Failure to do so may result in the permanent forfeiture of the properties to the Federal Government.
The interim forfeiture order was issued under the Non-Conviction Asset Forfeiture provisions of the EFCC Establishment Act, following an application by the EFCC. The seized properties are located across Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, and Kebbi states and are suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.